W5-REFERENCES

Question 1

What are the three main memory systems discussed in infancy?

Answer 1

Sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).

Question 2

What is sensory memory and how long does it last?

Answer 2

Sensory memory briefly stores sensory input (e.g., visual ~1s, auditory ~5s) before passing it to working memory.

Question 3

What did … find about infant sensory memory?

Answer 3

Blaser & Kaldy (2010) By 6 months, infants show adult-like iconic memory capacity, retaining up to 5–6 items using eye-tracking paradigms.

Question 4

What is working memory?

Answer 4

Working memory temporarily holds and manipulates information; limited in capacity and lasts ~30 seconds in adults (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974).

Question 5

How does working memory capacity develop in infancy?

Answer 5

6.5-month-olds recall 1 object (Kaldy & Leslie, 2005), 12-month-olds recall 3 (Feigenson & Carey, 2003), and 14-month-olds recall 6 using chunking (Feigenson & Halberda, 2008).

Question 6

What is long-term memory and its two major forms?

Answer 6

Long-term memory has vast capacity and stores information long-term. It includes implicit memory (recognition) and explicit memory (episodic).

Question 7

What did … show about implicit memory in infants?

Answer 7

Rovee-Collier et al. (1980, 1992) 3-month-olds retain learned contingencies for 2–8 days, and up to 28 days with reminders.

Question 8

What evidence shows early word recognition in infants?

Answer 8

Ungerer, Brody & Zelazo (1978): 14-day-old infants recognised novel words heard frequently over 2 weeks.

Question 9

How does episodic memory develop in infants ?

Answer 9

13-month-olds recalled events after 1 month, and 20-month-olds after 3 months (Bauer et al., 2000).

Question 10

What is infantile amnesia and what are possible explanations?

Answer 10

Inability to recall memories before 2.5 years. Explanations include memory format change, neural immaturity, and cueing limitations (Howe & Courage, 1993).

Question 11

What developmental differences exist between memory systems?

Answer 11

Sensory and implicit memory are stable early; working memory and episodic memory show prolonged development.

Question 12

How do chunking strategies affect working memory?

Answer 12

They enhance storage capacity; by 14 months, infants can recall 6 items using chunking (Feigenson & Halberda, 2008).

Question 13

How do sensory, working, and long-term memory differ in capacity?

Answer 13

Sensory: high; Working: limited but grows; Long-term: vast (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).

Question 14

What task did Kaldy & Leslie (2005) use to study infant working memory?

Answer 14

A violation-of-expectation looking-time task to test how many objects infants can store in memory.

Question 15

What is the information-processing approach in developmental psychology?

Answer 15

A cognitive framework that compares the human mind to a computer, describing how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved across multiple systems.

Question 16

What are the three memory stores in Atkinson & Shiffrin’s (1968) model?

Answer 16

Sensory memory, working memory (short-term), and long-term memory.

Question 17

What does Baddeley & Hitch’s (1974) model add to our understanding of working memory?

Answer 17

It introduces multiple components including the central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.

Question 18

How much information can adults typically hold in working memory?

Answer 18

Around 7 ± 2 items for about 30 seconds.

Question 19

What did Kaldy & Leslie (2005) find about infant working memory capacity?

Answer 19

At 6.5 months, infants can remember only 1 object, as shown through violation-of-expectation tasks.

Question 20

How does working memory develop across infancy according to Feigenson & Carey (2003)?

Answer 20

By 12 months, infants can store up to 3 items in working memory.

Question 21

How does chunking affect working memory in toddlers?

Answer 21

At 14 months, infants can use chunking strategies to increase capacity to around 6 items.

Question 22

How do … describe the development of working memory in childhood?

Answer 22

Siegler & Alibali (2005) Working memory capacity increases significantly during early childhood, enabling more complex cognitive tasks.

Question 23

What is chunking and why is it important in working memory development?

Answer 23

Chunking groups individual items into meaningful units, reducing memory load and supporting capacity growth.

Question 24

Why is the information-processing approach useful for explaining working memory development?

Answer 24

It provides a structured, component-based view that aligns with observed increases in span, speed, and strategy use.

Question 25

What are memory strategies and why are they important in children's development?

Answer 25

Explicit techniques like rehearsal and organization that help children encode, store, and retrieve information more effectively.

Question 26

At what age do children begin using rehearsal as a memory strategy?

Answer 26

Flavell et al. (1966) Rehearsal begins to emerge around 5 years, 10%; by 7 years, 65%; by 10 years, 80% who spontaneously used rehearsal strategies.

Question 27

When does the use of organization as a memory strategy emerge in children?

Answer 27

(Schneider & Bjorklund, 1998) Organization emerges around age 7 (10% use it), with more widespread use by age 10 (60%).

Question 28

What is metamemory and how does it support strategy development?

Answer 28

(Yussen & Levy, 1975) Awareness of one’s own memory processes; supports strategic memory use and develops between ages 4, inaccurate memory predictions and by 8, accurate predictions.

Question 29

What role do ecologically valid tasks play in memory strategy use?

Answer 29

In real‐world tasks, children as young as 3 show nonverbal strategies, even before verbal strategies emerge.

Question 30

How does metamemory interact with memory strategy use?

Answer 30

It enables children to select and apply appropriate strategies by reflecting on their memory capacity.

Question 31

What developmental trend is observed in the use of memory strategies?

Answer 31

A shift from limited strategy use in early childhood to effective strategy use by late childhood.

Question 32

How do internal and external supports differ in helping memory?

Answer 32

Internal: cognitive techniques (rehearsal, organization). External: cues like visual reminders or scaffolding.

Question 33

Why are ecological validity and context important in assessing children’s memory strategies?

Answer 33

Realistic contexts reveal emerging strategy use earlier than standard lab tasks.